Circuit-controlling device



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,357

H. E. BUTLER CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1924 Irn/erflfirHer-12y E. Butleray Ma) His Attrngy Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES HENRY E. BUTLER, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TGENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Application filed February My invention relates to improvements incircuit controlling devices and more particularly to circuit controllingdevices for the remote control of electric circuits.

Street lighting systems in which each lighting unit comprises two lampsof relatively high\and low candle-power respectively are arranged to beoperated with the high candlepower lamps lighted during'the earlier partof the night period of darkness when more people are liable to be usingthe streets and during the later part of the night when such a highintensity of illumination is not neces sary, with the low candle-powerlighted as a matter of economy. There would, however, be little or noeconomy, it it were necessary to perform the switching operation ofchanging from the high to the low candle-power lamps of vice-versa ateach lighting unit manually.

vices are, therefore, employed so that by a simple switching operationat some distant point, such as the supply station, all the lamps can beswitched over simultaneously. One of these circuit controlling devicesis usually associated with each lighting unit and, as the lamps aregenerally arranged in a constant current series circuit, it is customaryto place the winding of the operating element of the device in series inthe lighting circuit so as to avoid auxiliary control circuits and thelike. However, due to the number of circuit controlling devices employeddependent of course on the number of lighting units, theload of thesedevices becomes an appreciable factor and moreover it is necessary todesign the devices for a continuous rating to guard against over heatingand the like. It is, therefore, desirable to have a circuit controllingdevice which will operate automatically not only to switch over thelamps when the required switching operation is performed at the supplystation but also to reduce the load which it imposes on the lightingcircuit.

An object of my invention is, therefore, to provide an improved circuitcontrolling device which is remotely controllable automatically toperform a desired sequence of switching operations and at the expirationof each switching operation to reduce the load it 1mposes on the circuitand which is of particular use in the relation of utility set forthalthough its application is not so limited.

Mv invention will be better understood froni the following descriptiontaken in con- Automatic circuit controlling de- 1, 1924. Serial No.690,086.

nection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed outin the appended claims.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing illustratesdiagrammatically a circuit controlling device embodying my invention andarranged to control the operation of translating devices such as lamps 1and 2 of relatively high and low candle-power respectively, connected inseries in a lighting circuit which may comprise a plurality of simi larlighting units. The lighting circuit may be controlled by a switch 3located at some distant point such as the supply station.

For controlling the lighting of the lamps 1 and 2 of each lighting unitautomatically in response to the operation of the distant switch 3, Iprovide a circuit controlling device comprising a movable circuitcontrolling member 4- arranged to be actuated by an electromagnetcomprising a winding 5 and a movable member or armature 6. The circuitcontrolling member 4 is movable to a plu rality of circuit controllingpositions in one of which the lamp 1 is short-circuited and in anotherof which the lamp 2 is short-circuited. For moving the member 4 to thesepositions in response to the energization of the electromagnet. themember 4 may be pivotally mounted at 7 substantially in line with thepath of movement of a preferably flexible member 8 carried by thearmature 6. In order that the member 4 may be moved to each of itscircuit controlling positions in a. definite sequence, it is providedwith a wedge-shaped portion or cam 9, the point or nose of which isarranged, irrespective of the position of the member 4, to lie on oneside or the other of the path of movement of the flexible member 8. sothat upon successive energizations of the electromagnet, the flexiblemember 8 will engage the cam 9 first on one face and then on the otherwhereby to move the member 4 from one circuit controlling position toanother alternately. For holding the member 4 firmly in circuitcontrolling position and providing a snap action when the circuit isbroken at contact points 10 and 11, the memher 4 may be of magneticmaterial or comprise a magnetic portion arranged in either circuitcontrolling position to abut one of the poles of a permanent ma net 12.

In order that the winding 5 of the electromagnet may not be a continuousload on the lighting circuit while energized, I provide thermalresponsive means arranged to be heated in accordance with the current inthe circuit and to control the duration of the energization of thewinding 5 so as to short circuit the same'subsequently to the actuationof the circuit controlling member 4 and to maintain the windingshort-circuited and the lighting circuit closed until the switch 3 isopened. This thermal responsive means may comprise for example abimetallic thermal element or strip 13 connected in series in thelighting circuit with the winding 5 and arranged when heated to maintainthe lighting circuit through a path in parallel to the winding 5, thispath comprising a portion of the thermal element 13 and a contact 14controlled thereby.

Assuming the parts positioned as shown in the drawing, then the circuitcontrolling memher 4 short-circuits lamp 1. This is the way the lightingcircuit would be upon opening I the switch 3 at dawn and after the timelag necessary for the thermal element 13 to cool. Now in the evening,when it is desired to light the lamps of the system, the switch 3 isclosed and the winding 5 is energized. The circuit at each lighting unitis momentarily conductor 15, lamp 2, conductor 16, member 4, contact 11,thermal element 13, conductor 17,

. and conductor 18.

winding 5 and conductor 18. The electromagnet is energized and armature6 moves up causing fiexlble member 8 to move over the left face or edgeof cam 9 and finally engage a notch therein and move the member 4clockwise to engage contact 10. This completes a short-circuit acrosslamp 2, as follows :-contact 10, member 4 and conductor 16, while theshort-circuit across lamp 1 is removed. Lamp 1 is now in circuit, asfollows;-contact 10, member 4, conductor 16, lamp 1, conductor 19,thermal element 13, conductor 17, winding 5, Very quickly, however, thethermal element 13 will become heated and close on contact 14, thusshort-circuiting the winding 5. Moreover as line current continues toflow through the thermal element 13, it will maintain the line circuitthrough the path in parallel to the winding 5 so long as the switch 3 isclosed. Later in the evening, when it is desired to switch over to lamp2, the low candle power lamp, the switch 3 is opened and allowed toremain 0 on for an interval equal to the time lag of t 1e thermalelement 13 which in eoolingppens the parallel path or circuit across theterminals of winding 5. Switch 3 isthen closed and the winding 5 isenergized the circuit being, contact 10, member 4, conductor 16, lamp 1,conductor 19, thermal element 13, conductor 17, winding 5 and conductor18. The armature 6 moves u causin flexible member 8 to move over t eriglht Face or edge of cam 9 and finally engage t e notch therein andmove the member 4 counter clockwise. Lamp 1 'is now short-circuited asshown in the drawing,

the short circuit being conductor 16, member 4 and contact 11. In themeantime thermal element 13 is becoming heated and short-circuits thewinding 5 subsequently to the actuation of the member 4 by theelectromagnet. When it is desired to put out all lights in the morning,the switch 3 is opened and the thermal element 13 in cooling returns tothe position shown in the drawing with everything in readiness to repeatthe cycle of operation outlined.

While I have shown and described only one embodiment of my invention, Ido not desire to be limited to the exact arrangement shown and describedbut seek to cover in the appended claims all those modifications thatfall within the true spirit and scope of my i nvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a movable circuit controllingmember, means comprising an electro-magnet having an armature arrangedon movement to the attracted position to move said member to circuitcontrolling position, and means for effecting the movement of thearmature to the unattracted position after the energization of saidelectromagnet comprising a thermal responsive element arranged uponenergization of the electromagnet to be heated in accordance with thecurrent in the windin thereof and subsequently to the energization ofthe electromagnet to complete a circuit in shunt with the winding ofsaid electromagnet and maintain said shunt circuit while the circuitcontrolled by said member remains ener ized.

2. In a device of the class describe a circuit controlling membermovable to a plurality of circuit controlling positions, meanscomprising an electromagnet arranged upon a plurality of energizationsto move said member to each of said positions in a definite sequence,and means for controllin the duration of each energization of said eectromagnet comprising a thermal responsive element arranged uponenergization of the electromagnet to be heated in accordance with thecurrent in the windin of the electromagnet and subsequently to t eenergization of the electromagnet to complete a circuit in shunt withthe winding of said electromagnet and maintain said shunt circuit whilethe circuit controlled by said member remains energized.

3. In a device of the class described, a movable circuit controllingmember, means comprising an electromagnet havin an armature arranged onmovement to the attracted position to move said member to circuitcontrolling position, and thermal responsive means for efiecting themovement of the armatureto the unattracted position arranged uponenergization of the electromagnet to be heated in accordance with thecurrent in the winding thereof and subsequently to the energization ofthe electromagnet to shortcircuit the winding thereof and maintain thesame short-circuited while the circuit controlled by said member remainsenergized.

l. in a device of the class described, a circuit controlling membermovable to a plurality of circuit controlling positions, meanscomprising an electromagnet arranged upon a plurality of energizationsto move said member to each of said positions in a definite sequence,and thermal responsive means arranged upon energization of theelectromagnet to be heated in accordance with the current in the windingthereof and subsequently to the energization of the electromagnet toshort circuit the winding thereof? and maintain the same short-circuitedwhile the circuit controlled by said member remains energized.

5. In a device of the class described, a mov-' able circuit controllingmember, means com .prising an electromagnet having an armature arrangedon movement to the attracted position to move said member to circuitcontrolling position, and means for effecting the movement of thearmature to .the unattracted position comprising a thermal responsiveelement connected in series with the winding of said electromagnet andarranged subsequently to the energization of the electromagnet toshort-circuit the winding thereof and maintain the same short-circuitedwhile the circuit controlled by said member remains ener ized.

6. n a device of the class described, a. circuit controlling membermovable to a plurality of circuit controlling positions, meanscomprising an electromagnet arranged upon a plurality of energizationsto move said member to each of said positions in a definite sequence,and means comprising a thermal responsive element connected in serieswith the winding of said electromagnet and arranged subsequently to theenergization thereof and irrespective of the circuit controllingposition of said member to short-circuit the winding of theelectromagnet and maintain the same short-circuited while the circuitcontrolled by the member remains energized.

7. In a circuit controlling system wherein a circuit comprises twotranslating devices connected in series and wherein the translatingdevices are to be operated alternately, a movable circuit controllingmember arranged in one circuit controlling position to shortcircuit oneof said translating devices and in another circuit controlling positionto short-circuit the other of said translating devices, means foractuating said member comprising an electromagnet arranged uponsuccessive energizations to move said member to its respective circuitcontrolling positions, the winding of said electromagnet being connectedin series in said circuit and means for controlling the duration ofenergization of said winding comprising a thermal responsive elementarranged upon energization of said winding to be heated in accordancewith the current in said circuit and subsequently to the energization ofthe winding to short-circuit the winding and maintain the sameshortcircuited while the circuit controlled by said member remainsenergized.

8. In a circuit controlling system wherein a circuit comprises twotranslating devices connected in series and wherein the translatingdevices are to be operated alternately, a movable circuit controllingmember arranged in one circuit controlling position to shortcircuit oneof said translating devices and in another circuit controlling positionto shortcircuit the other of said translating devices, means foractuating said member comprising an electromagnet arranged uponsuccessive energizations to move said member to its respective circuit-controlling positions, and means for controlling the duration ofenergization of said electromagnet comprising a thermal responsiveelement connectedin series in said circuit with the energizing windingof said electromagnet and arranged upon energization of the circuit tocomplete and maintain another path for the current in the circuit inparallel with the winding of the electromagnet subsequently to theoperation thereof and upon deenergization of the. cir

cuit to open said parallel path.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st pay ofJanuary, 1924.

NRY- E. BUTLER.

